The Chinese Embassy in Singapore has strongly refuted claims linking China to alleged cyber sabotage activities, in response to a recent commentary titled “No idle punt: Why Singapore called out cyber saboteur UNC3886 by name”. The embassy criticized the article for largely quoting U.S. cybersecurity firm Mandiant and U.S. government officials, describing the piece as unbalanced and based on “malicious accusations.”
In an official statement, the embassy emphasized that China has always been firmly opposed to all forms of cyber attacks and reiterated its stance that such activities are prohibited under Chinese law. It rejected any suggestion that the country condones or supports hacking operations.
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The commentary in question had suggested that mere denial from China was insufficient to dismiss the accusations. In response, the embassy countered that the article did not align with journalistic principles of fairness and objectivity.
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Backing its position with data, the Chinese embassy cited a report released by the National Computer Virus Emergency Response Centre on April 3, 2025. The report revealed that China’s information systems, particularly during the Ninth Asian Winter Games held in Harbin between January 26 and February 14, were subjected to more than 270,000 cyber attacks originating from foreign sources.
According to the report, 63.24% of these attacks (approximately 1,70,000) came from the United States. Singapore was the second-largest source, allegedly accounting for 14.97%, or 40,000 attacks. The figures were presented to underline the point that China itself is frequently the target of foreign cyber intrusion.
The embassy encouraged countries, including Singapore, to provide credible evidence through appropriate diplomatic channels should they suspect any involvement by China in cyber offences. The statement included that in addressing cyber threats, solidarity and cooperation are required and not mutual accusations. As cyber diplomacy becomes increasingly contentious, the incident underscores growing global tensions over state-linked cyber groups and the narratives surrounding them.